Concerns have been raised about the safety of the balcony of a historic building in St Julian’s after pieces of it crashed into the street below.

Fragments of the balcony protruding from Palazzina Vincenti in St Julian’s were found on the pavement below in Triq il-Kbira.

The developer of the site, Carlo Stivala, said he was waiting to obtain a permit from the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) before he can repair the balcony.

And while a structural engineer said does not think the balcony is in danger of imminent collapse, he warned it could still pose a danger to pedestrians and vehicles underneath.

Real estate agent, David Saliba, told Times of Malta the balcony had been in the same state for months and he had noticed pieces of stone falling onto the pavement below.

“I can’t believe it’s in that state... it’s a very risky situation,” he said, stressing Triq il-Kbira was a busy road with the Sliema seafront and numerous businesses nearby.

Palazzina Vincenti is a post-World War II modernist building that was granted Grade 2 protection by the Planning Authority last year after a public outcry in the wake of plans for its demolition.

Developer Stivala and architect Robert Musumeci had submitted a proposal for three basement levels of parking spaces, a 136-room hotel, restaurants, a spa and fitness studio, indoor and outdoor pools, and kiosks at the top.

The building has languished in a dilapidated state, with missing windows and noticeable erosion to the first-floor balcony. A poster fixed to the door of the property warns motorists that parking is at their own risk due to “danger overhead”.

I can’t believe it’s in that state... it’s a very risky situation- Real estate agent David Saliba

Asked to examine photos of the site, Marc Bonello, head of the university’s Civil and Structural Engineering Department, said that while it did not appear to be in imminent danger, that did not mean there was no risk.

“The balcony does not seem to be in imminent danger of complete collapse, but there is always the danger of large chunks of spalled [splintered] concrete falling and causing injury to pedestrians and possibly damage to parked cars,” he said.

Bonello said the underside of the balcony had been eroded by rainwater, causing “extensive rusting in the steel reinforcement and consequent splitting and spalling of the concrete cover below”.

He stressed that in such situations, the local council and police should be notified immediately, and the area cordoned off.'

A piece of fallen stone (left) from the dilapidated balcony (right), while a sign outside the building (centre) warns motorists of the danger of the danger of parking underneath. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli (centre and right).

'A very big danger'

When contacted, the site’s developer admitted that while the site was a “very big danger”, he was unable to undertake repairs on the balcony until receiving a permit from SCH.

Stressing he “cannot do anything” until being granted a permit to repair the site, Stivala said he had tried to cordon off the area himself but had been told to remove the barriers by the local council.

He added that he had informed the police of the danger around a year ago but that they “never turned up” to the site.

Responding to questions, St Julian’s mayor Guido Dalli rejected Stivala’s claims the council had ordered him to remove barriers cordoning off the area, but said it would investigate the area and coordinate with community police.

Questions were sent to SCH and the police.